Being Bad
by themagickat
Summary: Cat pulled his jacket around her and breathed in deep. It smelled like cinnamon and cigarettes and that subtle scent that was just... Beck. It smelled just like what it felt to be bad. REPOSTING ON NEW ACCOUNT. :) Tags: Bat, BeckxCat
1. Like This

**A/N: Hey there! So here I am, FINALLY returning to the site. I had posted this story originally under my first username (katekalamity). I tried to get back onto that one, but having been kicked out of my email account for the indefinite time being, I decided to create a new account. So yes, this story has been up before. NO, I am not plagiarizing. This is my original work and I will be happy to tell anyone who disagrees. **

**Oh, and by "original work" I mean this scenario, not the characters, settings, or places they love. Thanks!**

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The first thing Cat noticed was the smell. It was acrid and it made her sneeze as it tickled her nose. The second was the taste. She took a deep breath and almost gagged as the thick, bitter taste settled onto her tongue. Still, she brought the slim, white cigarette back to her mouth and inhaled once more. She held the smoke in until she couldn't stand it and blew it all out in a rush. She began coughing and, as she did, a tear broke free and trailed down her cheek.

Beck pulled into the parking lot at the school and cut his engine. He had almost made it home from rehearsal when he realized he'd left his backpack in the theatre. Normally, he would just leave it until the next day, but he had a paper due the next day in Theatre History, and failing this paper would bring his grade down significantly. And he could not afford to get a bad grade.

The sun was low to the ground and blinded him as he got out of his truck. He turned his back to it and walked towards the school, cutting through the Asphalt Café to the door by the black box that he knew could always be jiggled open easily if everyone else had already gone home. He was just passing his usual lunch table when he heard a cough and a soft 'ow' coming from under the raised stage. He slowed his pace to a stop and shaded his hands as he peered into the darkness. "Hello?"

A sharply inhaled gasp was the answer to his query. He took a step closer to the stage and called again. "Who's there?" All he could see was a bright flash of red through the bars, but it was enough. "Cat?"

"Oh, no." He heard her anguished voice more clearly as he rounded the stairwell and found himself face to face with little Catarina Valentine, holding a cigarette tightly between her fingers.

"Cat, what are you doing?" His eyes widened slightly as he took in her turned down mouth and tear-stained face. He raised his eyebrows as she shakily brought the cigarette back to her mouth inhaling and exhaling the smoke poorly.

"I'm practicing."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Cat regretted them. She cursed herself and her habit of always saying the first thing that popped into her head internally as Beck's eyes narrowed at her.

"Practicing what?"

"Smoking," she said, cursing her mouth once again. Beck furrowed his eyebrows as he stared at her and she didn't like it.

"Why are you practicing smoking?"

Cat tried so hard to keep her mouth shut until she could think of a lie to tell him, but his eyes were so warm and curious as he looked into hers that she couldn't help herself. Her voice came out small and unsure as she answered him. "So I won't look stupid when I do it in front of you."

Beck had to fight to keep a smile off his face as he watched Cat struggle with herself whether or not to tell him. His eyes caught hers and what he saw there was not the happy-go-lucky Cat to which they'd all become accustomed. Her eyes were a myriad of emotions swirling together, and he could see himself getting lost in their maze. Her next words caught him completely off-guard.

"So I won't look stupid when I do it in front of you." Beck's eyebrows flew up in surprise. He was so very confused.

"In front of me?"

"Yes.. No.. I just.." Cat was getting all worked up, trying to get her words to come out right, and Beck didn't notice he was reaching out until his hand had crossed the short distance between them and came to rest against the warm skin of her arm.

"Hey, it's okay, Cat. Breathe." He kept his hand on her arm, absentmindedly rubbing small circles with his thumb against her surprisingly soft skin until she had taken a couple of deep breaths and calmed down. He pulled his hand back and Cat's mouth pulled into a slight frown. He pursed his lips into a straight line and studied her. "Do you want to talk?"

Cat shook her head violently and stared down at her shoes. "Okay," he said slowly, trying to gauge what she needed. All he could think of was, "Want me to show you how to do that right?"

Cat sniffed and looked up at Beck. He was smiling that soft half-smile of his at her, and had his hand held out for her cigarette. She nodded her head as she handed it over to him. He swung himself onto the stairs where she had been sitting and gestured for her to join him in the narrow space. She sat down on the stair above his, so they were eye level. The coldness of the metal pressed into her through the thin material of her jeans.

"Okay," he said, and Cat dragged her attention to his words and away from the close proximity of his body. "First, you hold it like this," he demonstrated, holding the filter part between his two index fingers. "This way you can squeeze the filter to flick the ash off." Cat watched his fingers as he did just so, expertly flicking the gray particles away from them. "Then, when you smoke, you inhale half a breath from the cigarette, and the other half from, well, the air." She watched as he brought the cigarette to his lips. He wrapped his lips around it and inhaled before bringing it away. He took in another breath, holding it for a second before letting it all out, slightly pursing his lips to angle the smoke away from her face. "You see?" Cat nodded, pulling her gaze away from his lips and bringing it to his eyes. "Okay, you try."

He held the cigarette out for her to take. She did, her hand brushing against his as she did. As she brought it to her mouth, she could still feel his touch all along her hand, like a current of electricity had lit the nerves he'd touched and now she couldn't ignore it. She took a shaky breath in, and remembered at the last minute to breathe in regular air. She ended up gasping in only a tiny bit of air and coughing as she blew the smoke right back into Beck's face. Her face was burning red, but he only laughed slightly as he waved the smoke away from him. "Sorry!" she squeaked.

"That was a little better," he said, still smiling at her. "Want to try again?" He rested the arm he had been waving the smoke away with across her legs, and the warm pressure was steadying. She inhaled twice and held it in, feeling how it was different. Feeling the smoke actually reach her lungs. She exhaled and this time managed to not blow it into his face. She looked at him, and the proud smile he gave her made her really smile for the first time that day.

"Much better," Beck said, beaming at Cat. He felt proud, oddly, and at the same time he knew he should not feel proud for helping to corrupt Cat's innocence. But once she gave him her full megawatt smile, it didn't matter what his conscience said. Cat reached down and picked the brand new pack of cigarettes and lighter off the ground and offered them to Beck. He took one and smirked at the bright, colorful lighter Cat had chosen. He lit his and took in a long drag. He held it in as long as he could and let it out slowly.

"I didn't mean just you," Cat said in a soft voice, he looked over to see her watching her feet. "When I said I didn't want to look stupid in front of you, I meant all of you." He watched her face, waiting for her to continue, giving her all the time she needed to organize her thoughts. He was dragging in another breath when she spoke. "I want… I want to be different. I want to do something different. I just… I just want you all to see me." Beck blew out the smoke and looked at her until she glanced up at him.

"What do you want us to see?" She averted her eyes back down to her shoes, but he reached out and stopped her, moving her face until she had to look him in the eye.

Beck's fingers were warm on her cheek and his breath smelled of the smoke they were sharing and cinnamon gum. His eyes were warm and imploring as he searched hers. She sighed.

"I'm just sick of everyone just seeing Crazy Cat all the time, and not… just Cat."

"Who's 'just Cat'?" he asked, his voice hushed. Cat's voice was quiet to match his when she answered.

"Someone who doesn't want to always have to put on a show. Someone who wants to… wants to be bad sometimes. Who wants to be serious without everyone laughing like it's a joke. …I want to be real."

Beck stared into her eyes as his fingers slid back along her cheek until he was cradling her head in his hand. He leaned closer, and Cat was sure he was going to kiss her, until he stopped. His face was an inch from hers. Close enough for Cat to feel his breath on her lips. She slid her eyes shut and breathed in, steeling her resolve. And without any hesitation, she pressed her lips against his.

She was slightly startled when he kissed her back, still halfway expecting him to push her away, to reject her. Cat opened her mouth slightly and drew his lip in as she kissed him, tasting the cinnamon that lingered there.

Cat's lips on his were gentle but insistent and he couldn't help but kiss her back, something he had been thinking about, but hadn't thought would be allowed. Her lips tasted like sugar, pure sugar, should taste. Pure sweetness. But they also tasted like the tobacco she'd been smoking. It was exactly what Cat, this new Cat, should taste like. She pulled away first and his wet lips were cold in the wind without her to warm them. She shivered and lifted her forgotten cigarette halfway to her lips before stopping and looking at him.

"Beck, I—" Her voice was tortured with indecision and he cut her off.

"It's okay, Cat. No worrying," he instructed her, voice gently firm, a smile on his lips. She nodded and shivered again. It was then that Beck noticed that the sun had firmly set and they were seeing by the light of the lampposts along the road that ran past the school. The air was cold and Cat was most likely freezing in her t-shirt and jeans. He slid his arms out of his denim jacket and placed it around Cat's shoulders, pulling it tight around her by the collar.

"Come on. Let's get you home."

Cat pulled Beck's jacket over her arms and scooped all of her stuff into her purse. "Beck. Why did you come back here?"

"I needed to grab my backpack. I left it at rehearsal. Do you mind if we run in real quick?" He was looking at her for permission and Cat almost laughed.

"I don't mind, Beck. It'll be like we're spies!" He laughed and they walked to the building. Cat 'stood guard' while Beck jimmied open the door. The hallway was dark, save for the streetlights streaming through the windows. They door to the black box theatre was unlocked and opened easily. It closed behind them with a small thump and made Cat jump a little.

"Stay right here, I'll go get my bag," Beck said, already moving towards his seat earlier that day.

Cat stood still for a minute, but after so much silence, she couldn't stand it and started walking forward slowly, hands reaching in front of her. "Beck?" she whispered, bringing her hands in closer to her body.

"Yeah?" he answered, a half second before they collided. His hands wrapped around her to catch her fall and hers found their way up to his shoulders. Cat giggled softly.

"I found you," she sing-songed. She giggled again, unable to help herself. Her fingers played with the shoulder seam of Beck's flannel shirt as they stayed clasped together, the darkness making them linger.

"We should go," Beck finally said after a moment. Cat nodded before she realized he couldn't see her.

"Okay," she whispered back, even her sotto voice seeming loud in the space. Beck's arms dropped from around her waist. His hand reappeared in hers, and he led them to the door and back out to the parking lot. He dropped her hand when they reached his truck and walked around to unlock it. She pulled his over-large jacket around her tightly while she waited, grateful for the warmth.

Beck leaned across the seat and opened the truck's door for Cat. He started up the engine as she slid in and once she was buckled up, he pulled out of his spot and out of the parking lot. The drive to Cat's was short and familiar from the many times he'd driven her home. Those drives had never been silent, and this one was no exception, but this time her words seemed to have more of a meaning. Her random stories weren't so random if you tried to follow her thoughts. He watched her from the corner of his eye as he drove, keeping one eye on the road. When he pulled up in front of her house, the lights were spilling across the lawn.

"Hey, Beck?"

"Yeah, Cat?"

"Don't tell anyone about this, okay?" Cat bit her lip as she watched for his answer.

"Of course not," he answered with a smile. "Your secret's safe with me."

"Thanks, Beck," she said, smiling and relieved.

"See you tomorrow, Cat."

"See you!" She leaned over and pecked him on the cheek. She looked surprised when she pulled back, and must have resembled his expression exaggerated and expanded. "Um, goodnight!" she trilled as she clambered out of the car. He chuckled as he watched her walk up the front path and into her house.

"Goodnight, Cat." He drove home, his hand absentmindedly rubbing over his cheek.

Cat opened the door to her house, walking inside and shutting it behind her quickly. She leaned against it, a small smile playing over her face.

"Cat? Honey, is that you?" Cat's mom called, walking into the entry way from the kitchen. She smiled at her daughter over the mixing bowl she was holding and stirring. "Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes. Go clean up, sweetheart."

"'Kay, 'kay!" Cat called, already heading to her room. She walked inside and closed the door behind her before dropping her bag and walking to her bed. She buried herself in the pink blankets and pulled Beck's jacket up around her head. She inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent of cigarettes and spicy cologne. It smelled just like Beck and the secret they shared. She pulled Mr. Long Neck to her and wrapped him in her arms, stroking him as she lay deep in thought until her mom's voice called her out of her reverie and into reality.

"Tomorrow, Mr. Long Neck. Tomorrow."

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**A/N: Hey! So, I left it at a bit of a cliff hanger…. So tell me what you think! Click the review button it's right here!**


	2. Around

**A/N: Hey! Hope you're enjoying this, thought I'd try and post all the old one first and then post the new chapter tomorrow. Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own them.**

Cat walked out of the bright yet dark in nature store with three full shopping bags in hand. Jade had always dragged Cat in here before when they had gone shopping together. But since Jade had gone, it had been months since Cat had had cause to step into the store. Until today.

She moved towards the small staircase that led to the grand floor, lost in thought. She barely registered the sayings on the stones beneath her feet as she walked through the open air mall, and only broke out of her reverie when the stray droplets from the fountain hit her skin, almost sizzling in the heat. It was only now that she could hear a voice she normally would have picked up on immediately.

"MOM! I am not going to… No! Why?" Beck stared incredulously at the slip of paper in his hands. "Mom, I am not going into," he lowered his voice, "Victoria's Secret to buy you things. I'm not!"

"Beck Oliver, I cannot believe you." Beck pulled the phone away from his ear slightly as he listened to his mom's go to spiel. "And after all I've done for you, why can't you do one little thing for me?"

"Moooommm," he pleaded, rolling his eyes. "I'm a guy. A seventeen year old guy. Seventeen year old guys should not have to buy things for their mothers!" Beck was gesturing as he spoke, getting worked up and froze as he heard a familiar giggle behind him. He turned slowly and grinned sheepishly at the redhead behind him. "Hi, Cat."

"Hi, Beck. Whatcha doi-"

"No, Mom. I'm—Okay. Okay. Fine, here." Beck shook his head in disbelief and handed the phone to Cat. "It's for you."

Cat scrunched her forehead up in confusion as she took the phone from Beck. "Hello? … Oh, hi, Mrs. Oliver! … No, I just ran into him… Just shopping… Oh? Okay…. Sure! … Mmhmmm…. Mmmhmmm… Okay! Talk to you later!... Bye!" Cat slid her finger across Beck's PearPhone, ending the call before she handed it back to him. "Your mom says you need to give me her debit card."

Beck stared at Cat in confusion. "Okay….?" He fished his wallet out of his pocket and pulled out the card. "Why does she—"

"Shh, it's okay. Now, wait here. I'll be right back." Cat took the card from him and smiled before skipping off into the pink store. Beck stared after her and shook his head. He ran a hand through his hair and looked around. There was a group of tables about ten feet away from him, and there was one empty one. He bent down to grab his shopping bags and noticed Cat had left hers with him. He rolled his eyes and gathered up hers as well and relocated to the table. He sat for a while, just waiting, before he began to get bored. He tapped his fingers on the table in an impatient gesture, drumming them around for a while. Finally he threw his head back and sighed, staring up at the sky. It was a beautiful day, though a little chilly, and he could think of at least twenty other things he would rather be doing than running his mom's errands. But since he was 'going to be at school turning in his paper anyway, it wouldn't be that difficult to run just a few errands, would it?' First, he couldn't believe that Mr. Killomann wanted him to turn in a paper on a Saturday, but he supposed it was his fault for procrastinating until the very last day. And since Mr. K was going to be leaving for Germany for a week, it did make sense to turn it in before he left, but still. It's a Saturday. Second, he couldn't believe the list his mom had left for him to do. Granted, it was mostly just shopping, but still.

He looked around, hoping Cat would be returning soon, but no such luck. He did notice, however, that almost all of the tables and benches around the plaza seemed to be full of men waiting for their wives, girlfriends, etc. to return with more shopping bags. He glanced at the multitude of bags surrounding him, and figured he should try to…condense them. If possible. A lot of the bags only had a few things in them, so they were easy to stack into each other. The bag from the Gap held most of everything, which was good. He'd hate to have a bright pink bag be the only thing he was carrying. He was basically operating on auto pilot and almost didn't realize when he grabbed a very full black bag from the pile. He studied the familiar logo and looked up in shock, expecting to see Jade sitting next to him, about to berate him for not greeting her immediately. Of course, there was no one there, but that didn't stop his confusion. He didn't think he'd been in there today… At least not yet.

He opened the bag to peek inside and saw a swirling mass of black with glints of silver shining out of the abyss. He opened the next one to find a large pink shoe box. The last was a bright and colorful mix of items. And then it dawned on him. Cat. These were Cat's bags. He closed the bag quickly, suddenly afraid of being caught snooping. He stacked all of her bags on a chair and pulled out his phone, trying to look busy. He had beaten the next level in Angry Birds when he glanced up to see Cat finally returning to him, swinging a pink bag from each arm. He smiled in relief and put his phone away.

"Hey, Beck!" Cat sang, coming to a stop in front of him. "Here you go!" she said, handing him his mom's debit card. "And here." She handed him a bag and he stared at it. "It won't bite," she giggled, glancing at him from where she was fussing with her own bags. Beck put himself to action and tried to stuff the bag into one of his other bags, missing the wince that passed over Cat's features as he did.

"What took you so long? You were in there for ages," Beck griped as he picked up all of his bags.

"I had to, um, get some stuff. It took a while," Cat said, cheeks tingeing a soft pink. Beck's eyes widened and he blushed slightly as well. He did not need to picture what kind of bright things Cat would need to purchase.

"Oh." He glanced around, trying to think of a way to change the subject, and saw a restaurant. "Hey, what are you doing today?"

"Nothing," she replied, caught off guard a little. No one had really made plans to see what she was up to lately. Now Tori spent all her time with Andre and Robbie and Trina had finally gotten over themselves and gotten together, and who knew what was up with Beck since… well. That left Cat usually all alone.

"Want to go get some food?" Beck smiled at her and Cat's heart dared to lift a little, hoping things may finally be returning to normal. She nodded, a smile spreading across her face.

"Sure! I love food! Where should we go?"

"I know a place."

*****Time Lapse*****

"This is so good." Beck looked up at her words, the first she'd spoken in a few minutes. Cat had finally let down her guard and became the Cat he had started to see the night before. The Cat who didn't need to talk to fill the void, and be happy and chipper all the time. The silence was new… but it wasn't bad, or awkward. It was just quiet.

He smiled at her and forked up another bite. "I thought you'd like it." They were sitting in a diner in Los Feliz. It was completely retro and a little worn down, but that just added to the charm. They were sitting in the booth next to the jukebox and currently listening to the songs Cat had picked out. "So…. What's new?" Cat laughed then and didn't stop for a minute. Beck smiled to hear a genuine laugh come out of her, the first in who knew how long.

"What isn't new?" She smiled, still laughing a bit and sobered up. "Um, I passed tech theatre. And I got an A on my History of Cinema exam! But I don't really do much anymore. You know, out of school." She shrugged and went back to her salad.

"That's great!" Beck was genuinely surprised. Cat had always been good in school, but she wasn't an A student. He frowned and picked at his food as she brought up the disintegration of their group. Ever since Jade… Well, Beck was always on his own now. He'd been too hurt and humiliated at first to face everyone and then once he'd been ready…. It was different. The dynamics between them all had changed. And now he felt bad. He should have realized Cat got the short end of the stick. With the others coupling up, there was no one there for Cat. "You have to do something," he said, the faint traces of a smile showing at the corner of his lips. "I mean, you pretend to smoke, at least." He smiled full out when he saw her expression lift just the tiniest bit. There.

"Yeah, well…" She opened her mouth as if to say something else before shaking her head. "Never mind. So….. where have you been?"

"Around." It was the truth. Beck hadn't really been doing anything. "I had a few auditions, and a call back, but nothing solid yet. Other than that… Without… I have too much time on my hands."

They sat in silence for a minute, the weight of what they were missing settling around them before Beck shook his head and broke the silence. "You know what? I'm sick of this. She's gone. She's gone and we're here and I'm sick of her still controlling me. Us." Cat's eyes widened in shock. "Are you done?" he asked, gesturing to her plate. She nodded and he smiled. "Good. Let's get out of here." He dropped a twenty on the table to cover the bill and held his hand out to her to pull her out of the booth. "Come on, I found something I want to show you."

"Okay," Cat answered, unsure but willing to go with it. She smiled as she took his hand and let him help her out of the booth. She had to quicken her step to keep up with his long stride as they walked the five blocks to his truck. "Beck, slow down!"

He glanced down at her and grinned, slowing his step. "Sorry, Red."

"Where are we going, anyway?" she asked as they came up to his truck. He opened the door for her and helped her in.

"Now that, my dear, is classified information." He winked at her and shut the door. The ride through Los Feliz to Hollywood was mercifully quick for LA and they arrived on Sunset in five minutes, just enough time for a full song to play on the radio and for Cat to sing along, her bright vibrato filling the truck and spilling out the windows as they drove. Beck pulled into a hidden parking lot and parked.

Cat looked around and bit her lip. "Beck… Where are we?" The lot they were in was deserted and in front of them was a decrepit lot with big machinery. The buildings behind them didn't look any more inviting.

"Trust me," was all he said, and she did. She clambered out of the truck and hurried to keep up with him. He helped her step over a chain blocking off an alleyway and led her through it. She stuck as close to his side as she could. And then they stepped out of the alleyway onto Sunset and she felt silly for worrying. They walked about ten steps down the street before Beck turned into a storefront.

"Millions of Milkshakes?" she asked, happy. Beck nodded and stepped up to the counter.

"Two medium Red Velvet shakes," he ordered, not missing Cat's surprised and happy expression. He paid and turned to her. "I found this place last week and thought about you," he said in explanation. They took their shakes from the guy and Cat's eyes lit up with the first sip.

"This is so good!"

"That's what I thought." They walked to his truck, sipping their milkshakes. Beck hopped into the back of his truck and helped Cat in, cracking jokes about her height. They sat there and watched the sun go down, and Beck listened to Cat talk.

"Why did she do it?" she asked after a while. "I thought…. I thought she liked us." Cat's voice trembled with her emotions. This was the first time she'd talked about Jade since everything had happened. "I thought we were friends, Beck. Why would she leave me?"

Beck put and arm around Cat and pulled her into his side, offering her comfort where his words could provide none. "I don't know."

Cat cuddled into Beck's side, her defenses falling like leaves at the first comfort she's been shown in months. "It doesn't make sense. She was fine, she was Jade and then…."

"I know," he said and she could still hear the hurt, the betrayal in his voice. It matched her own.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, her voice so soft it barely carried to his ears.

"Cat, this was not your fault. No one made her do what she did… No one ever made her do anything." His arm tightened around her as he spoke and she could feel his anger, deep and unbidden but still there, in the way his muscles tensed.

"I know. But I'm still just… sorry." Her voice was heavy with the emotions she couldn't name. But they were always there. From the way her hands now shook as she curled her hair and the way that her heart never really felt like it was a part of her body anymore. It was like Jade took something that was essentially Cat with her when she left, and now Cat couldn't get it back.

Beck looked down at Cat and how she curled tighter into him now and he couldn't think of anything he could say to help her. He just lay his head against the top of hers and held her. He knew that she and Jade… She and… well, they'd been close. And he knew he should've been there for Cat, shouldn't have disappeared and deserted all of them but… he was hurt and he couldn't bear to face them all, their friends. He could barely force himself to go to school. It was too full of memories. And so was his trailer. So full that for the first month, after the anger dissipated, he did nothing at home but lie there and let the memories wash over him, dashing against him and pulling him under.

It was amazing now that, after months of avoiding everyone that had been connected with Jade and BeckandJade, Cat was popping up in his life. Not just once, but two days in a row. He'd never really believed in a higher power or anything like that, but when something like this happened…. He had to believe it was a sign.

"Beck? Can you take me home?" He lifted her head from hers and she pulled back, turning to look at him. She offered no explanation but gave him a tiny, sad smile.

"Of course," he said, standing up and jumping out of the truck bed. He helped her out and was surprised when her tiny arms wrapped around him.

"Thanks, Beck." She walked around the truck and got into the cab. He followed, belatedly, wondering just who this girl named Cat Valentine actually was.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed it! Found my wind again half way through lol. As always, Read and Review! Next Chapter is either going to be a) a continuation of the story "now" or b) What Happened With Jade. You decide! Let me know! :)


	3. Jade

**A/N: Last update from the original post, from here on out it's all new! Now enjoy the Jade Story. **

**D/c: DO NOT OWN**

***Six Months Ago***

Jade West smiled and closed her computer. The sun was setting and she'd been locked away in her room pretty much all day, barely even leaving for food and drinks. But it was done. Finally, after all these months, she was done. Her smile shone brighter as the realization dawned on her and she grabbed her phone, dialing her agent. "Steve? It's me! Guess what…"

***The Next Day***

Jade was angry. Seriously angry. She'd thought she'd finally been done with all of this, but nooooooo. Steve thinks she should wait. Steve thinks she should give it some time to make sure everything will go smoothly. Steve can kindly go to hell.

"—But then I told him that I really wanted to do the assignment justice and he gave me a week's extension! So now I can do the audition, too. And I—"

"SHUT UP, VEGA." Jade stabbed the pathetic excuse for food on her plate with her plastic knife and looked up to glare at the stunned brunette. "No one wants to hear about how perfect your life is today. And you don't have to be such an o—"

"OKAY," Beck said, talking over her and effectively shutting her up. She turned her glare to her 'boyfriend', who was currently trying to patch things up with the idiotic girl across the table. "Jade, let's try not to antagonize all of our friends, okay?" He seemed oblivious to the hatred in her eyes, but then again he usually was. It was a good thing he was hot and a good kisser, or she would have found a way to get rid of him for that long ago. This did have some perks after all.

"Dang, girl! You need to caaalm dowwwn," Andre said with a laugh, trying to lighten the mood. It wasn't helping and Jade's attitude just darkened. She picked up her knife, the 'burrito' still stuck on the end and slammed it down on Andre's plate, the plastic utensil quivering with the force. Without another word, she should up and stormed off. She couldn't stand being around them any longer. The only thing she regretted was the hurt little "oh!" produced by the redhead of the group, and truthfully the only one Jade could stand for long. She could hear Beck trying to make excuses for her as she left, but she couldn't care less what he said right now. She just needed to get away from here and calm down before she had to face anybody.

***A Week Later***

Jade had patched things up enough to last for now with everyone, but things were still rocky. Especially with Beck, whom she hadn't given any explanation for her actions. He was angry to say the least, but it seemed like he was forgiving her and being just as lovey as he always was. She rolled her eyes and checked her phone for the millionth time that afternoon. She knew it was annoying him, but she really didn't care. This time it rang as she stared at it and she jumped for it, answering it almost immediately. "Hello? … Thank God it's you!" She looked over at Beck as he sat on his bed, a confused look on his face. She forced a semblance of a smile as she grabbed her bag and headed for the door. "I have to go. I'll call you later." She shut the RV's door behind her forcefully and resumed her conversation on the phone, a smile overtaking her face. "Well?"

"They loved it!" She stopped and pressed the phone closer to her ear.

"They did?" She almost jumped for joy right then.

"Yes! I'm already getting it set in motion for publication, and they are already talking about a movie deal! How would you feel about playing yourself?" Jade laughed, carefree and happy.

***A Week Later***

"So, Jessica Easton, how does it feel to have your story out there? It must be quite a rush for you to publish a book of this magnitude at such a young age." The reporter gave her an encouraging smile and Jessica turned up the wattage on her own answering grin.

"It feels amazing! I've spent so long on this book. I've taken off so long from my career just to do this and it feels so wonderful to have it actually come to something like this. To be something that people like. It feels great." She pushed her blonde hair behind her ear and smiled into the cameras.

"That's right. You made a decision that I don't think I've seen any other young starlet make. After your third blockbuster hit you… disappeared. Tell us about that decision."

"Well, you see, I love acting, I do, but… I wanted to do something out there. Something that hadn't really been done before. I wanted to make my own story, but I also wanted it to be real. So I went undercover and created a whole new persona for myself. I guess you could say this was the longest case of method acting to prepare for a role that anyone's ever done." She laughed then, as did the reporter.

"I think that's very safe to say. How did you do it? I'm sure that someone must have realized when they came over after school that not every teenage girl lives in a multi-million dollar home!"

"Haha, of course they would've! No, we actually found a house in Hollywood to rent out. We decorated according to the character I created and I actually lived there by myself for the last few years. Of course I went home every other weekend to see my family and friends, and Idid slip out of character every once in a while… Hey! A girl's got to shop!" She laughed and continued. "But for the most part, I kept in character for the entire two and a half years. The story was entirely based off the circle of friends I met at the school I attended, but none of them knew about this, of course. That would take away from the whole element of reality, wouldn't it?" She laughed musically. "No, I'm sure they're all wondering where I've been this last week."

"And what a week it's been! As I've heard you had this sent to the publishing house only a week ago, correct? And now it's being released all over the world today!"

"Yes, we wanted to rush it. I didn't want too much time to go by between when I finished it and when I could finally come out of the shadows back into the light. A girl can only go so long being someone else, you know?" The two laughed again and Jessica smiled. "And there was no pre-release press because we wanted this to come as a surprise to everyone. Just… pop! There it is!"

"And what a wonderful surprise it is." The reporter turned to face the camera as it went in for a close up. "My So-Called Hollywood Life is available nationwide today at your local bookstores, and in select countries worldwide. Jessica, as always it's been lovely to have you."

"The pleasure was all mine, Ann."

Sikowitz turned off the television and the entire class sat in stunned silence for a moment. A sniffle was heard from the back of the room as Cat tried not to cry. Almost everyone's eyes were on Beck and he could feel them boring into him. He could barely process anything except the fact that that was his girlfriend. On national television. Blonde. And talking about them like they were a big joke. An experiment. He couldn't process this with everyone staring at him so he grabbed his backpack and stormed out the door. Much the way a very absent, very fake, girl had once done.

**A/N: Leave feedback! :)**


	4. The New Cat

**A/N: Okay, so here we go! This chapter is what I started writing this week. I think I know where I'm going with it now, and I hope you enjoy it! Leave feedback if you wish!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. **

Cat was sick of the fake smiling she had been doing for the past six months. As if there had been anyone to notice if she hadn't been. But just in case, there had been a ready smile on her face to put them at ease. After all, wasn't she the dim, ditzy one? No one expected her to really feel the sting of betrayal Jade – Jessica – had left behind. Tori, of course, played it up the most for a month before she started talking about how she knew Jade was up to something that whole time. Robbie had been too interested in having Trina, an actual girl, interested in him to hang out anymore. Beck was understandably missing from, well, everything. And Andre was either wrapped up in whatever Tori was saying or busy writing music that would no doubt go towards his well-publicized breakout album, _Betrayed_. So that had left Cat to be the one slipping through the cracks, cracking jokes and playing along as the loveable idiot they'd all come to tolerate.

She was sick of it.

She consoled herself by saying that at least it was only one more day. One day until she could shed the façade and start becoming a real person. She'd already started to crack with Beck, but now it was almost time for everyone to see it.

All day she had been reorganizing her room. Tossing out some of the stuffed animals and toys she was too old for, pulling out the clothes she no longer liked from her closet but felt obligated to wear and replacing them with the new clothes she'd bought that reflected her new attitude until her wardrobe was a mixture of her old and new selves. Tomorrow she would toss out the rest of her unnecessary things and become her new self.

For now, though, she was curled up on the floor between her bed and the wall, hidden from sight from the doorway. She reached under her bed and pulled out a book, the cover once bright and glossy now dull and dingy from being hidden in so many different locations. When the book had first come out, Cat had snuck out to buy a copy and spent 3 weeks bawling in her bed. Her mother had finally taken the book away and hidden it, trying to make her get back to her normal self. But Cat had found the book and every so often would pull it out to reread the passage that hurt her most of all.

_"And then there's Kitten. The most revoltingly sweet person you'll ever meet. She's dyed her hair the most ridiculous shade of bright red, something like a kindergartener would color into the lines. At first she seemed okay, save for the bright hair, but then she opened her mouth. She means well, but this girl has no brains. Shallow and vain, she never says anything of real substance. She's easily excitable and acts like a three-year old hyped up on Monstera Energy Drinks™. I don't know if she acts this way because she thinks it's attractive or if she was dropped on her head a few too many times as a child. It's sad that she can't see the way she looks to other people. Maybe then she wouldn't be such a vapid airhead._

_ The good thing about Kitten is that she's easy to befriend. Give her a bag of candy and she's basically eating out of the palm of your hand. Give her a tiny bit of affection on top of that and she's yours. At least now I've got a personal source for comic relief."_

Cat shut the book as she heard footsteps approaching her room, quickly shoving it under the bed again. Who cared what Jade thought anyway? She was nothing but a bully when she was here, and obviously she was faking the kindness when they hung out. She was an actress, right? No wonder she was so good at making Cat believe they were friends.

She crawled onto her bed and turned on the television right before her mother opened the door.

"Hey, sweetheart. Homework all finished?"

"Yeah, Mom. The paper for –"

"That's good. I've got a counseling session tomorrow with Bryce so you'll have to make your own dinner, okay?"

"Sure, but I was thinking—"

"Alright, well I'm going to bed. Don't stay up too late! Love you!"

"Love you, too, Mom." Cat sighed as the door shut. Not even her own mother took her seriously. Hopefully, that was all about to change.

"You take me seriously, don't you, Mr. Long Neck?"

Cat heard the melodic bell sounding inside the school as she climbed out of her mother's car, signaling five minutes until class. She slammed the door and teetered on her heels as she started to run, not having realized how late she was. She called goodbye to her mom who broke from her phone call only a moment to call goodbye after her but Cat had already disappeared into the bustle of the school. The school's halls were thick with students rushing to class and she had to fight against them to get to her locker. She swung open the bright pink metal door and hurried to stuff her books from the weekend in and pull out her notebooks and books she would need for her first round of classes. She slammed the door and took off down the hallway, pulling the bright pink book bag onto her shoulder as she ran. Slowing as she reached the right hallway, she took a minute to compose herself before walking into the room.

Everyone was chattering as she entered, catching up after the weekend. The bell rang again and Cat hurried to take a seat next to Beck, ignoring the stares that she was getting from her friends. She loved it, but tried not to let it show. Beck turned to greet her and stopped, taking in her appearance. He cocked an eyebrow and opened his mouth to say something but was cut off as Sikowitz careened into the room, shutting the door forcefully behind him.

"Good God! Those children have turned into animals! I was just chased down the hallway by some renegade Flying Monkeys!" The class did a collective eye roll and relaxed into their seats. Most everyone knew the film studies class was doing a remake of _The Wizard of Oz_, "Off to See the Wizard", and the news that there were Flying Monkeys in the hallway wasn't as earth shattering to them as it was to Sikowitz.

"Since you all seem not to care about my wellbeing, let's jump right on in to some exercises!" Cat saw Sikowitz do a double take when he saw her and honestly she couldn't help the grin that leapt to her mouth. She was either luckily or unluckily spared Beck's questions during class as Sikowitz decided to use him as his acting model, a role Beck hadn't voluntarily agreed to in months. She could feel the stares and whispers but they thankfully lessened as the class actually began to pay attention to Sikowitz's lesson.

She wasn't sure what the big deal was. She still looked like herself—mainly. Same tight pants and high heels, same tight fitting shirts under a cardigan. Same bright red hair. Sure her black jeans had leather detailing and her bright heels were way too tall for school. And maybe the faux-corset top under the dark burgundy knit cardigan was a bit more revealing than she normally wore. Her hair was still long and red, but maybe it was the fact that it stood out more against the dark clothing. Or maybe it was that it made the smoky makeup around her eyes more noticeable. Whatever the combination, it was clear that Cat Valentine had finally grown up.

After class was over, she could tell the others didn't know whether or not to approach her. But Beck did.

"So, Cat… Have we begun phase 1?" he teased with a light in his eyes. She giggled and spun lightly on her heels, as bubbly as ever.

"Do you like it?" she asked walking next to him out of class and down the hallway towards the studios.

"It looks great," he acknowledged, glancing down at her. Their height difference wasn't quite so absurd now, thanks to her ridiculously tall heels. "But are you sure you aren't going to fall?"

Cat's laughter rang across the school's foyer as they passed through. "Fairly certain," she assured him. "But if I do, I'll let you catch me." He raised an eyebrow as she laughed again, smiling brilliantly at him.

"I'll be on the lookout," he promised as they walked up the stairs, side-eyeing her to see if she wobbled.

"Beck, I'm fine," she said, laughing and hip checking him as they reached her classroom. "I'll see you at lunch."

"See you." He gave her one last look before continuing down the hallway towards the production shop. Cat took a breath before ducking into the Makeup Room, steeling herself for her classmates' reactions.

**A/N: So it's kinda short but I want to start the next chapter with everyone's reactions. Eeks. 3**


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